ICT
From The Report: Papua New Guinea 2016
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The Papua New Guinea telecoms market is set to enter a new phase. After nearly a decade of rapid expansion, largely the consequence of Jamaica-based Digicel’s market dominance on the mobile side, and given state-run Telikom’s virtual lock on essential infrastructure, credible and effective competition may soon be arriving. A restructuring has been proposed that promises to combine Bmobile, the number two player in the mobile space, and Citifon, the number three, and bolt them on to a new nationwide 4G network to create a powerful challenger to Digicel.

This chapter contains an interview with Michael Donnelly, CEO, Telikom.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

A competitive bet: New operators and government reforms are set to transform the telecoms industry
OBG
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The Papua New Guinea telecoms market is set to enter a new phase. After nearly a decade of rapid expansion, largely the consequence of Jamaica-based Digicel’s market dominance on the mobile side, and given state-run Telikom’s virtual lock on essential infrastructure, credible and effective competition may soon be arriving. A restructuring has been proposed that promises to combine Bmobile, the number two player in the mobile space, and Citifon, the number three, and bolt them on to a…

Interview

Improving connectivity: OBG talks to Michael Donnelly, CEO, Telikom
OBG
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Interview:Michael Donnelly What benefits would a Melanesian underwater cable have compared to a new link to Australia? MICHAEL DONNELLY: A study conducted by the World Bank states that a new underwater cable to connect Papua New Guinea through Honiara in Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and then Fiji would not be cost-effective, even though the developer, PNG DataCo, had originally signed a contract with Exim Bank of China and ICT provider Huawei to actually build the cable. The initial estimate…

Analysis

A time for restructuring: Reforms under way could revitalise the cellular market over the next few years
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In early 2016 a number of initiatives and transactions were in the works that promise to bring balance to a market that has so far been dominated by a single player. The plan is simple but bold: consolidation of the government’s companies operating in the retail space, and consolidation of its assets on the wholesale and infrastructure side of the business. If successful, these restructurings would make the market more competitive, both in the underlying bandwidth costs and at the consumer…

Analysis

Facing new realities: Cybercrime laws are being updated to better reflect the evolution of modern technology
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The telecoms sector has been growing rapidly in Papua New Guinea in recent years, with connectivity quickly spreading to the remotest parts of the country, and linking a diverse range of customers to each other and the outside world. While the growth of cellular coverage and the internet have been almost universally praised, the tech revolution also raises questions about the dangers of these technological developments and how to deal with them. There are a myriad of concerns, including…

Analysis

Making connections: Telecoms firms are working to roll out 4G and LTE services
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Increased investments in ICT infrastructure are set to improve PNG’s internet capacity, extending coverage across the country and paving the way to roll out 4G LTE services. With low fixed-line internet and telephone penetration rates in 2015 – at 9.4% and 1.9%, respectively – connectivity in PNG is mainly being driven by mobile phone ownership, with penetration rates standing at 49% earlier in 2016. However, despite mobile service coverage of 80% as of early 2016, some services are…